PAR 
fented to the re£lory of Affien in Effex. This living he 
refigned in 1544; immediately after which lie was pre- 
fented to the redlory of Birlingham All-Saints, in Ids 
native county of Norfolk. In the fame year, in confe- 
quence of the king’s letters commendatory, containing 
a very honourable teflimony to his chandler and worth, 
he was chofen mailer of Corpus-Chrilli college ; to which 
he afterwards became a liberal benefadlor, and compiled 
for it a new body of ilatutes. In 1545, he was eledled 
vice-chancellor of the univerfity of Cambridge; and in 
the fame year he was prefented by his college to the rec¬ 
tory of Landbeach in Cambridgelhire. In 1547, he loll 
his deanery of Stoke by the diffolution of that college, 
which he ineffedlually exerted himfelf to prevent: how¬ 
ever, from a regard to his merit, he had a yearly penlion 
of forty pounds fettled on him in lieu of it, and a pro- 
mife of the deanery of Lincoln. 
After the acceffion of king Edward VI. matrimony 
being allowed to the clergy, Dr. Parker married a lady of 
a good family, who proved an excellent wife, as well as an 
excellent woman, and contributed materially to his hap- 
pinefs during twenty-three years. Being accidentally in 
Norfolk, in 1549, during the time of Kett’s rebellion, 
Dr. Parker had the refolution to go to the rebels’ camp, 
where he preached to them under the oak of reformation, 
taking the opportunity to exhort them to temperance, 
moderation, and fubmilTion to the king. In doing this 
he ran great hazard, and his life appears to have been in 
danger from the fury of fome of the enraged multitude ; 
however, he happily efcaped out of their hands. 
In 1551, Dr. Parker was included in a commiffion for 
correcting and puniffiing anabaptills ; under which term 
feem to have been comprehended, not only perfons who 
rejefted infant-baptifm, but Arians, Pelagians, and others 
who administered the facrament in a different way from 
that prefcribed by the Book of Common-Prayer. In 1552, 
he was prefented by king Edward VI. to a prebend in the 
cathedral church of Lincoln, and a few days afterwards 
to the deanery of the fame church. He had before been 
nominated a chaplain to his majefty, probably f'oon after 
his acceffion to the crown. Thus he lived in great repu¬ 
tation and affluence, during the reigns of Henry VIII. 
and Edward VI. and happy in the acquaintance and efteem 
of fome of the greatefl men of the time ; among whom 
were the learned Emanuel Tremellius, lord Cromwell, 
archbifflop Cranmer, bifflop Ridley, bifhop Latimer, fir 
William Cecil, fir John Cheke, and Mr. Nicholas Bacon, 
afterwards lord keeper. 
After the acceffion of queen Mary to the throne, Dr. 
Parker was deprived of all his preferments, under the pre¬ 
tence of his being difqualified for holding them as a mar¬ 
ried man ; but, in reality, on account of the aClive part 
he had taken in promoting the principles of the refor¬ 
mation. Upon this, he withdrew privately into Norfolk, 
with his wife and family, bearing his reverie of fortune 
with a contented and cheerful mind. The firft afylum 
which he chofe was in the houfe of one of his friends ; but, 
as ftridl fearch was frequently made after him, he was 
obliged to remove from place to place, and proved fo 
fortunate as to efcape the vigilant and adtive persecutors 
of that bloody reign. Some part of the leifure which his 
prefent obfeure fituation afforded him, Dr. Parker em¬ 
ployed in turning the Book of Pfalms into Englifh verfe, 
and in w riting a defence of the marriage of priefls. 
Upon the death of queen Mary, and the acceffion of 
Elizabeth, in 1558, a very great alteration took place in 
the circumftances of Dr. Parker ; for he not only became 
free from all fear and danger, but was elevated lo the 
highefl dignity in the Englifh church, the archbifhopric 
of Canterbury. For this exalted ftation he w-as confi- 
dered to be the fitted man among the Englifh clergy at 
that difficult crifis, when the great work of reformation 
was to be carried on with vigour, on account of his great 
learning, piety, zeal, courage, and prudence. He was 
Vou. XVIII. No. 1267. 
I< E R. fiOl 
fo far from feeding this dignity, that he appears to have 
been really averfe to the acceptance of it, and iincere in 
his application to the lord keeper Bacon, to ufe his inte- 
red with the queen that he might be permitted to decline 
it. Her majefty, however, perfifling in her choice, he 
was obliged to Submit, and was confecrated in Lambeth 
chapel, on the Seventeenth of December, 1559, hy Wil¬ 
liam Barlow, late bifhop of Bath and Wells, and then 
eledt of Ohicheder; John Scory, late bifflop of Chichefter, 
and then elect of Hereford ; Miles Coverdale, bifhop of 
Exeter; and John Hodgkin, fuffragan bifflop of Bedford. 
We mention thefe particulars, of which there is the clear¬ 
ed evidence, as affording a decifive confutation of the 
malignant fklfehood that was invented and propagated 
fome years afterwards by the papids, that Parker was con¬ 
fecrated at the Nag’s Head inn, or tavern, in Cheapfide. 
Being thus condituted primate and metropolitan of the 
church of England, Dr. Parker endeavoured to fill the 
vacant fees with men of learning and piety, who were 
zealous for promoting the reformation ; and, foon after 
his own confecration, he confecrated at Lambeth, Grin- 
dal bifflop of London, Cox bifhop of Ely, Sandys bifflop 
of Worcester, Jewel bifflop of Salifbury, and Several others. 
He alfo extended his influence and Iris concern for the 
protedant interell to the kingdom of Ireland, fending 
over proper inftrudlions to Hugh Corwin, archbifflop of 
Dublin, for completing the work of the reformation of 
the church of Ireland. Accordingly, the Litany was fung 
in Englifh at the cathedral in Dublin, in the prefence of 
the earl of Suffex, the queen’s lieutenant, and his court; 
which fo highly exafperated the popilh party, that they 
had recourfe to their old fraud of inventing a miracle, to 
keep up the reputation of the old fuperdition. That 
which they adopted, however, was fo indifferently con¬ 
trived, that it was eafily detected, to the fliame and dis¬ 
grace of the parties concerned, and of the caufe which it 
was meant to Support. The particulars of this ridiculous 
dory having been tranfmitted from the archbifflop of 
Dublin to archbifhop Parker, he took care that it fliould 
be nniverfally circulated, toexpofe the credulity of thofe 
who dill retained a veneration for images. This letter 
was publiffled by him very opportunely in England, as 
the queflion whether they fflould be continued in the 
churches or not, was now debating by the clergy, and the 
queen Seemed inclined to retain them; but the fight of 
this letter, backed by Several paffages produced from 
Scripture by the archbifhop and other divines, produced 
herconfent that they fflould be taken down throughout 
the kingdom and demoliflied. 
About this time archbifhop Parker received a letter 
from Calvin, congratulating him on the religious change 
which had taken place in England, and entreating him 
to prevail with the queen to Summon a general allembiy 
of all the proteftant clergy, wherefoever difperfed, for 
the purpofe of agreeing upon one common form of wor- 
fhipand of church-government, to be edablifhed not only 
within her dominions, but alfo among all the reformed 
and evangelical churches abroad. This letter was taken 
into consideration by the queen’s council, who requefted 
his grace to return thanks to Calvin for his propofals, 
which they acknowledged to be candid and definable; but 
at the fame time to Signify to him, that the church of 
England would Hill retain her epifcopacy, and that the 
queen would continue to be the head of her own church. 
But the queen found it impoffible to produce conform¬ 
ity and unanimity even in her own church. Difiurbances 
foon arofe on the Subject of ecclefiaftical habits, which 
threatened an alarming fchifm, and could not fail giving 
caufe of Scandal to all well-difpofed Chriftians. In coin 
Sequence of a claufe in theadl of uniformity, which gave 
the queen power to add any rites and ceremonies which 
file thought proper to add to thofe of the eitablifhed 
church, lhe had iliued injundiions, by which particular 
eccleliaflical habits were ordered to be worn by the clergy, 
7 O which 
